THE COSTS OF GENERATIVITY FOR OLDER ADULTS’ MENTAL HEALTH DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract Generativity, the capacity to be productive, caring, and concerned with the well-being of the next generation, promotes positive mental health and posttraumatic growth in later life (Bellizzi, 2004). Generativity may be particularly important in recent years as older adults have faced the pandemic and its aftermath. For example, our previous work showed that generativity was associated with better mental health concurrently during this initial post-vaccine adjustment period (June - September 2021; So et al., 2022). The current study builds upon this work by using longitudinal evidence from a community sample of 95 older adults (M age = 68.4, range 50-91; 68% females; 93% White) to explore whether generativity predicted older adults’ anxiety, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction six months later (December 2021-February 2022). Using structural equation modeling controlling for age, gender, and baseline depressive symptoms, we found that generativity positively predicted depressive symptoms six months later. In contrast, generativity at baseline was not associated with anxiety or life satisfaction six months later. It is possible that older adults who were more generative at baseline (when many still believed that COVID-19 pandemic would end with vaccinations) reported more depressive symptoms six months later when the highly contagious Omicron variant took over. Our findings thus underscore the complexity of the role of generativity in mental health outcomes, with associations sensitive to historical events.

61% retired; 88% living independently).Participants reported on leisure at three time points (Summer 2021; Fall 2021; Winter 2022) using a modified version of the Pittsburgh Enjoyable Activities Scale (Pressman et al., 2009).Repeated measures analyses revealed that although there were no differences in the total amount of leisure individuals engaged in over time, with whom they did these activities differed both across time and activities.Participants were most likely to do activities with romantic partners at all three waves, followed by activities alone.Leisure with friends and family was least likely.Although leisure alone and with friends remained stable over time, leisure with a romantic partner and with family declined from T2 to T3, when COVID-19 cases were peaking.Interestingly, declines were seen in both more traditionally social activities (e.g., taking trips, sports) and those usually considered more solitary (e.g., computer use, chores).Despite both rising COVID-19 rates and inconsistent rhetoric on social distancing, older adults were still able to do things they enjoyed, though their ability to do so with loved ones appeared to wane.Dispositional optimism has been associated with healthy aging, as well as coping with and making meaning from life challenges.Social support plays a similarly positive role in promoting adaptation in late life and helping individuals feel closer to loved ones.During the pandemic, disruptions in older adults' social interactions placed a high demand on both of these potential resources, challenging individuals' ability to derive meaning from these events.Exploring data from a community sample of 136 older adults (M age = 68, range 50-91; 69% females; 93% White) assessed three times over six months during 2021-2022, we examined how optimism and positive and negative social exchanges predicted changes in attitudes about how COVID-19 shaped family life.We found that T1 optimism predicted changes in older adults' feeling closer to their families and appreciating them more at T2 (3 months later), above and beyond T1 positive social exchanges, which were only marginally associated.Older adults who were more optimistic at T1 also reported greater declines in tension and strain in their family ties due to the pandemic at T2 -but not at T3 (6 months later).However, T2 negative social exchanges did predict increased reports of family tension and strain from T2 to T3.Findings suggest that as new COVID-19 variants emerged, benefits of optimism waned, but costs of negative social exchanges increased.These findings illustrate how personality, microlevel context (i.e., social interactions), and macro-level context may work together to shape older adults' views of their families during the pandemic.
Generativity, the capacity to be productive, caring, and concerned with the well-being of the next generation, promotes positive mental health and posttraumatic growth in later life (Bellizzi, 2004).Generativity may be particularly important in recent years as older adults have faced the pandemic and its aftermath.For example, our previous work showed that generativity was associated with better mental health concurrently during this initial post-vaccine adjustment period (June -September 2021; So et al., 2022).The current study builds upon this work by using longitudinal evidence from a community sample of 95 older adults (M age = 68.4,range 50-91; 68% females; 93% White) to explore whether generativity predicted older adults' anxiety, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction six months later (December 2021-February 2022).Using structural equation modeling controlling for age, gender, and baseline depressive symptoms, we found that generativity positively predicted depressive symptoms six months later.In contrast, generativity at baseline was not associated with anxiety or life satisfaction six months later.It is possible that older adults who were more generative at baseline (when many still believed that COVID-19 pandemic would end with vaccinations) reported more depressive symptoms six months later when the highly contagious Omicron variant took over.Our findings thus underscore the complexity of the role of generativity in mental health outcomes, with associations sensitive to historical events.

FORECASTING THE FUTURE: OLDER ADULTS' ANTICIPATED STRESSORS AND REWARDS IN THE CONTEXT OF COVID-19
Christina Marini 1 , Erin Basinger 2 , Meagan Stewart 3 , Katherine Fiori 1 , and Amy Rauer 3 , 1. Adelphi University, Garden City, New York, United States, 2. University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, 3. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States Stress research typically focuses on past/current events as opposed to future ones.We identified future anticipated stressful and rewarding events at 2 timepoints utilizing qualitative data from older adults (N = 103, Mage = 68.11,68.9% female, 93.2% white) who participated in a study of social reintegration after vaccines were available in the US.COVID-19 cases were typically below 1 million during T1 (Fall 2021), but exceeded 5 million during T2 (Winter 2022), coinciding with the Omicron variant.This afforded the opportunity to examine anticipated stressors and rewards at timepoints with different levels of COVID-19 threat.We used content analysis to identify anticipated stressors and rewards, which fit into 13 categories (Cohen's κ = .86-.96) and examined rates of ambivalence (i.e., same event was a stressor and reward within timepoints) and chronicity (i.e., same stressor or reward was named across timepoints).At T1, the modal stressor was own transition/change (13.6%; e.g., relocating).At T2, it was the pandemic (20.4%; e.g., family member recovering from COVID).Family/friend relationships (e.g., celebrating grandkids' birthdays) was the modal reward at T1 (32%) and T2 (24.3%).A quarter of participants demonstrated ambivalence (T1 = 23.3%;T2 = 28.2%).Stressor and reward chronicity (22.3% and 32%, respectively) were low.Findings highlight variability in the events older adults were concerned and excited about within and across timepoints.Salience of the pandemic as an anticipated stressor ebbed and flowed alongside emerging variants, despite vaccine availability.

PATTERNS AND THEMES OF OLDER ADULTS' COPING ACROSS TWO YEARS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Heather Fuller, Andrea Huseth-Zosel, Emily Kinkade, Bryce Van Vleet, and Melisa Hajdar, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, United States Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults developed coping strategies to adapt to the necessary social distancing precautions intended to protect from severe illness.However, over time, especially as vaccines became available, their need and ability to adapt and cope shifted.This longitudinal, mixed-methods study investigates whether older adults' perceptions of coping changed across the first two years of the pandemic and how older adults described their experiences with coping at different points during this time.Between April 2020 and June 2022, five waves of interviews were conducted with 76 Midwestern older adults between the ages of 70 and 97.At each timepoint, participants rated their level of perceived coping, quality of life, and stress.They also answered several open-ended questions about their current daily life and experiences during the pandemic.Repeatedmeasures ANOVAs indicated participants' perceived coping and quality of life significantly increased between the first and final interview.Thematic coding of interview transcripts identified four themes of coping across two years of the pandemic: 1) staying occupied, 2) seeking social support, 3) cultivating an adaptive mindset, and 4) future planning.Theme meaning shifted once vaccines were available, as participants adapted to 'a new normal' lifestyle, gained realistic perspectives, and appreciated their own resilience.Findings suggest older adults had nuanced and shifting coping experiences throughout the initial two years of the pandemic, but overall coped by drawing on life experiences.Our discussion will highlight variability in older adults' coping over time and directions for future study and practice.

PREDICTORS OF HOSPICE AND END-OF-LIFE CARE: GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, PATIENT PORTALS, NURSING HOME CARE, AND HOME HEALTH
Chair: Jennifer Portz Discussant: Karla Washington Hospice is considered an indicator of high-quality care at end-of-life (EOL) often allowing patients to receive care aligned with their values, in their homes, surrounded by support and loved-ones.However, there is a need to address access barriers to hospice and enroll patients earlier in their disease trajectory.Understanding predictors of hospice use will help identify strategies for addressing hospice inequities, promoting longer hospice stays, and improving overall EOL outcomes.Focusing on research methodologies with large cohorts and national samples, this symposium examines